The Anatomy Of A Web Designer

Infographics are all the rage at the moment, with companies trying to come up with ways to present large amounts of data in an easy to read, eye catching format. With that in mind I recently stumbled across this one from the folks over at Heart Internet which is particularly relevant for the state of the web design industry.

(Click to enlarge)

The infographic was complied through a survey of 500 designers from the industry, quizzing them on key issues such as mobile and tablet design, attitudes towards competition speculative work and the future of the industry. The results make quite interesting reading. Aside from the obvious that it is a male dominated industry, on average, designers offer 3 additional services to clients. This falls in line with the other statistic that 79% think prices are being forced down by competition.

Obviously, designers feel that with the increased competition, they are being forced to offer additional services in order to provide added value to their work. This may help combat competitiveness by offering more to prospective clients, but it means that for the designer, there is more to learn and it can mean lower prices for their current work as it will be perceived as being worth less.

Following on from this, 88% also say that clients underestimate the cost of web design, however, from my experience this happens in any job role, with half the battle being trying to justify getting paid for all the hard work you put in.

Finally, a whopping 90% consider demand for mobile sites has increased. I better get moving with my responsive redesign of this site!

Have you faced these issues in your role? Do you agree with the infographic? Are there any you would add?